Shoe machines

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING ON THE MARGIN OF A SHOE BOTTON INCLUDING A ROTARY TOOL MOVABLE ALONG THE MARGIN AND COOPERATING WITH GUIDE MEANS FOR DIRECTING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE TOOL RELATIVE TO THE MARGIN. THE GUIDE MEANS INCLUDES A LIGHT RESPONSIVE MEANS SUCH AS A PHOTOCELL WHICH REGISTERS ON A LIGHT GUIDE COMPRISING A LIGHT SOURCE AND A TEMPLATE LOCATED TO THE FRONT OF THE LIGHT SOURCE.

May 25, 1971 Filed m. "is, 1970 A. MUHLBACH ETA!- snom mcnmms I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y- -fi lnvcn Ian:'

I Anton Iluhlbach Gerhard [.auc/r/rarJ/ By Meir/l tlarney A. MUHLBACH ET A 3,579,692

May 25, 1971 SHOE MACHINES Filed Feb. 16, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet I w United States Patent 3,579,692 SHOE MACHINES Anton Muhlbach and Gerhard Lauckhardt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignors to USM Corporation, Boston, Mass.

Filed Feb. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 11,597 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 25, 1969, P 19 09 474.7 Int. Cl. A43d 21/00 US. Cl. 12-8.3 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for automatically operating on the margin of a shoe bottom including a rotary tool movable along the margin and cooperating with guide means for directing lateral movement of the tool relative to the margin. The guide means includes a light responsive means such as a photocell which registers on a light guide comprising a light source and a template located to the front of the light source.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Automatic shoe machine operations carried out by a tool on or relative to a shoe bottom margin involves the problem of guiding the tool relative to the margin which is contoured and beyond that multi-contoured in nature when viewed as to peripheral outline, profile and bevel. Guiding of the tool has been most simply accomplished through the use of guide means constituting templates or other camming surfaces on which a pin, feeler or follower registers and directs movement of the interconnected tool. In order for the tool to be guided accurately, it is necessary that all forces which tend to force the tool out of the desired path, relative to the bottom margin be absorbed by the guide.

In the case of an automatic machine having a rotary tool, such as an applicator, brush, wiper, stone or the like and particularly those designed to work or rotate transversally or laterally to the marginal edge, the problem becomes compounded. In those cases the tool has a tendency to roll off the margin edge corresponding to its direction of rotation. In order to keep the tool in such a case in the correct or predetermined path of travel relative to and above the edge, the forces tending to misdirect the tool must be absorbed, that is, the guide must be capable of retaining the tool firmly in the respective position on the work. When a template is used, the feeler or follower must be pressed against the template with so much transversal or lateral force that the force overcompensates the rotational forces which tend to force the tool from its predetermined path. The result is that the template and associated guide parts must be made of special hard and strong materials, such as steels, etc., so that they can withstand the stresses acting upon them.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine capable of automatically operating on the margin of a shoe bottom with a rotary tool in which pressure applied to the template is eliminated.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine as above in which the template as well as certain other guide parts may be easily and conveniently constructed of light, and what may be considered structurally Weak materials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine as above in which an individual template may be used to operate on work, such as shoes in a range of sizes.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objects of the invention may be attained in a machine capable of automatically operating on the margin of a shoe bottom including a rotary tool which may be rotated or operated transversally or laterally of the margin edge while being movable lengthwise along the margin and on being so operated does not apply transversal or lateral, mechanical pressure to a template included in the guide means for the tool. To effect that end, there is provided a pair of levers carried in articulated manner on a carriage. The end of one of the levers carries the rotary tool, while the end of the second of the levers carries a light responsive means, such as a photocell circuit. The levers are coupled by means such as a parallel linkage or transmission which when one lever moves the other is moved correspondingly. A receiver for the work or shoe to be operated on is located in the range of movement of the operating end of the tool lever, and correspondingly, a template of desired contour in combination with a light source is located in the range of the photocell end of the control lever. The template is of effectively opaque material and is positioned effectively between the light source and the photocell. A control circuit is also provided which controls means acting on at least one lever to move the control lever in relation to the contour of the template.

As a feature of the machine involved it is possible to use a template constructed of material as structurally weak as cardboard, because of the absence of stress applied to the same. As a consequence the templates can be produced in the shoe factory itself, using materials and tools, such as hand knives which are in common usage there. Additionally, any style of shoe can be so provided for with templates of that nature. Neither is it necessary to have a template for each shoe size. Rather, a single template can be used for a range of shoe sizes simply by designing the length of the tool lever, control lever and the coupling through the transmission or linkage so that a gear ratio is obtained from the control lever to the tool lever which compensates the size difference between the template and the respective shoe.

Another feature of the machine allows for designing the same so that the tool lever and control lever are articulated together with a carriage and the transmission constituting simply a connecting arm between the two levers. Further, from the standpoint of simplicity, the levers may be of equal length. In that embodiment the two levers then can only be turned through identical angles and it is necessary to have individual templates for the individual soles to be operated on. This, however, does not represent a sacrifice of importance, because as indicated previously, the templates for the machine may be conveniently produced in house.

A further feature of the machine is that it may be designed so that the tool and control levers are located one above the other on a single shaft with the levers rigidly coupled together by the connecting arm. While simple construction considerations recommend this feature the template being generally in superimposed relationship with the work, leads to some difliculty in viewing the operation. As a consequence it is rather preferred from that standpoint to use an embodiment in which the levers are arranged generally sidewise of one another with the connecting joining them in what may be considered a parallelogram arrangement.

Still another feature of the machine is that it may be adapted to operate as to rotate a rotary tool at all times transversally of the path of movement or the margin to be worked on, even in those situations where a very sharp contour or contour change is involved in the path, as, for example, in the ball and arch margins of shoe bottoms. This may be further facilitated by providing the control lever with a rotary control head which carries a plurality of photocell circuits. For example, the principal photocell may be carried on the end of control lever, or on the control head immediate to the pivot or end of the control level and a second photocell carried on the control head in spaced relationship from the first photocell. The second photocell may then be used to control a drive, torsion drive, which aligns the control head with the edge of the template and connects to a corresponding rotary control which is carried at the end of the tool lever and so influences the tool correspondingly.

The machine of the present invention may be adapted to operate a wide variety of rotary tools, including those which are rotated, operated, advanced or worked either transversally or longitudinally to the path of movement for the tool. Included are rotary tools for working a margin of a shoe bottom, rotary tools directed to wiping over an upper, as during lasting, also rotary tools for abrading, burnishing, brushing, inking and other applicating, tacking and the like. It may also be used in conjunction with adaptations or means designed to provide attendant operations, such as dispensers for supplying adhesive used to bond a wiping or lasting upper to an insole, and the like. For purposes of convenience the invention may be considered relative to a rotary wiping tool and operation of the type disclosed in the copending application Ser. No. 881,509 filed Dec. 2, 1969 in the name of Muhlbach, Lauckhardt and Fichtner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan partial schematic view, with some parts in section and others in phantom showing an embodiment of the machine of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a back elevational partial schematic view with some parts broken away and in section, showing the machine in relation to a single rotary tool and associated guide means but otherwise corresponding to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figures show a machine embodying the invention having a last 1 fixedly stationed on the machine by mounting means, not shown, the last carrying a shoe assembly including an insole 2 and an upper 3. Upper 3 includes a lasting or wiping margin designated 3a, 3b and 30 at various locations, which is drawn and pressed into a corresponding portion of the insole 2 by operation of the machine. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the wiping is effected by a The rotary wiper, taking the form of a screw or worm including a raised helical ribbon 4a, which is rotated so that ribbon 4a advances inwardly drawing or pulling and pressing inside margin 3a inwardly over a corresponding marginal portion of the insole 2. The rotary wiper 4 is rotated on a driven flexible shaft 4b which extends substantially perpendicularly or transversally of the inside margin 3a. The wiper 4 is suspended below tool head 5 which is in turn pivotally carried on tool lever 6 by means of shaft 7 located at the projecting or forward end of pressure arm portion 6a of tool lever 6 as to allow the tool 4 to follow the contour of shoe bottom in what may be generally considered a horizontal plane. The tool lever 6 forms at its forward section a pressure arm portion 6a pivotally attached to the remaining section of the tool lever 6 by shaft 9. The pressure arm portion 6a is generated to allow the tool 4 to move vertically, that is in an upward or downward manner, or what may be considered in a perpendicular plane, and thereby follow the profile contour of the shoe assembly as provided to the latter by assembly on last 1 while at the same time providing sufficient pressure on the wiper 4 so that effective pulling and pressing of the margin 3a is had. The pressure arm portion 6a may be spring-loaded, in a manner not shown, or it can be fitted hydraulically or pneumatically, again not shown, in order for it to press rotary tool 4 constantly with substantially constant pressure onto the margin 3a. The tool lever 6 is articularly mounted by means of shaft 10 onto carriage 11. The carriage 11 then is slidably mounted on or between guides or rails 12 and 13 allowing the carriage and, coincidentally the tool 4 to move or be moved lengthwise of last 1.

Mounted on the carriage -11, in similarly articulated manner as the tool lever 6, and, in spaced relationship to that latter, is a control lever 14 which is pivotable, attached by means of shaft 15 to the carriage 11. The tool lever 6 and the control lever 14 are coupled together by means of a connecting arm 16 so that when the tool lever 6 pivots or rotates about the shaft 10 the control lever 14 pivots or rotates about shaft 15 to a corresponding degree. To facilitate that the connecting arm 16 is provided at opposite ends with slots '17 and 18. Pins 19 and 20 secured to the tool lever 6 and the control lever 14, respectively, are slidably engaged in the slots 17 and 18, respectively.

The projecting end of control lever 14 is shown carrying a pivotable control head 21. Pin 22 allows the control head 21 to be pivotable or rotatable relative to the control lever 22. Photocell 23 is included at the under side of the forward end of control lever 14, immediate to the location of pin 22, see FIG. 2. The photocell 23 registers on a template 24 and light source for example, a light bulb, 25 combination, in which the template 24 is in an interposed relationship relative to light source 25 and the photocell 23. The template 25 is formed of an opaque material, such as, for example, cardboard. Photocell 23 is connected to a control circuit of a usual nature, by which adjustment of the control lever '14 and the entrained tool lever 6 is controlled. During operation of the machine, the photocell 23 is kep in operable range of the edge of the template 24 with only minor deviations.

In operation of the machine, carriage 11 is moved in lengthwise relationship to the fixed last 1 by. attached drive means, not shown. By means of the control circuit, the photocell 23 is kept above the contour of the template 24 so that the control lever 14 effectively registers on that contour as it is moved longitudinally relative to template 24. The control lever 14 entrains over the connecting arm 16 to the tool arm 6; so that the rotary tool 4 is always kept over the lasting margin 3a as longitudinal movement of the tool 4 relative to the margin 3a is carried out.

The control lever 14 and the tool lever 6 are connected through an angle drive to insure closely responsive movement by and between those two levers. The angle drive as shown consists of a coil spring 26 and pressurepiston 27 mounted within cylinder 28. The piston 27 is attached to connecting lever 16, while cylinder 28 attaches carriage 11. As viewed in FIG. 1, the spring 26 urges the piston 27 and integral connecting arm 16 to the right, 'while a pressure derived on introduction of a hydraulic or pneumatic medium into the cylinder 28 urges the piston 27 to the left. Specifically, on actuation by the circuit connected to photocell 23, a hydraulic or pneumatic medium is fed, from a source not shown, into the cylinder 28 through opening 29 which is located to the right of piston 27. Under action by the spring 26 the control lever 14 is moved to the right so that the photocell 23 being similarly moved arrives in the range of the light continuously issuing from the light source 25 and past the edge of the template 24. The photocell reacts to the light to initiate the introduction of the pressure medium through opening 29 and into cylinder 28. The pressure medium forces pressure-piston 27 to the left, incidentally overcoming the effect of coil spring 26, so that the control lever returns or moves to the left to the extent necessary to return the photocell 23 into the shadow thrown by the template 24. The photocell 23 then reacts accordingly to interrupt the supply of pressure medium to cylinder 28, allowing coil spring 26 to become effective again, and serve again to urge the control lever 14 to the right. In this way the control lever performs a laterally reciprocating motion in a very narrow range. This has the efiect that force is not exerted on the end of the control lever 14 on which the photocell 23 is arranged. All the force involved in the operation acts rather on the pressure piston 27 which transfers it over the connecting arm 16 and the pin 19 to the tool arm 6.

The inside marign and edge of a shoe bottom is particularly severe so far as peripheral contour is concerned. This has particular reference to the ball and arch construction there. Strictly conforming alignment of the rotary tool 4 to the inner lasting margin edge 3a may be facilitated by a feature in which rotatable tool head 5, which carries tool 4, is coupled to rotatable control head 21, through connecting element 30 using universal joints 31 and 32, respectively. Rotation or pivotal movement of tool head about shaft 7 which serves to attach it to tool lever pressure arm 6a, registers on similar rotational movement by control head 21 about shaft 22 serving to attach the control head 21 to the lever arm 14. Pivoting of the tool head 5 and the control head 21 in the preferred manner, by which the outer edge of the template 24 is closely registered on in doing so, is faciiltated further by the use of the additional photocell 3-3 and its control circuit carried on control head 21 and registering with the edge of template 25. Response by the tool head 5 to the control head 21, the latter acting in response to photocell '33 is relayed by a system in which the control head 5 is connected through to the pressure arm portion 6a of the tool lever 6 by means of connecting bar 34 having one end attached to tool head 5 and the other end attached through a universal joint 35 to pressure piston 36. The pressure piston 36 is slidably mounted in cylinder 37 which is in turn attached to pressure arm portion 6a by means of connecting rod 38 fitted with a universal joint head 38a joining it to pressure arm 6a. Also mounted in pressure cylinder 37 is coil spring 39 which urges the piston rod 38 in the direction which carries the tool head 5 to the right and similarly affects the entrained control head 21 as viewed in FIG. 1. The photocell 33 which as a result is being moved to the right arrives in the range of light issuing from the light source 25 and its control circuit responds to cause a pressure medium from a source, not shown, to be fed through opening 40 into the cylinder 37 causing the pressure piston 36 to move against the action of the spring 39. The result is that the photocell 33 moves to the left into the shadow cast by template 24. The photocell so indicates through its control circuit, stopping the supply of pressure medium into cylinder 37, and the cycle initiated by the coil spring 39 pressing against the piston rod 38 starts again. As a result the control head 21 performs a reciprocating movement, in the manner previously described with respect to the control lever 14. The control head 21 entrains the tool head 5 over the connecting element 30. Since the photocells 23 and 33 are aligned over a longitudinal or lengthwise spacing with respect to the contour of the template 24, this results in the control head 21 having a similar alignment, and the tool head 5 takes up a corresponding alignment with respect to lasting margin 3a. The wiping roll 4 as a result takes a position with its longitudinal axis and correspondingly shaft 4b continuously in a right angle or normal to the lasting margin 3a of the shoe assembly as it advances along the margin of shoe. Maximum working wiping and pressing by the tool 4 against the margin 3a is accordingly obtained. In other structures it may be desirable to orient a rotary tool differently or along a different axis. This may be accomplished merely by orienting the turning axis differently relative to the control head 5.

As indicated previously, rotary tool 4 is mounted in such a manner that it can move in a vertical manner to follow the profile contour of the last and shoe assembly carried on the same, as the tool advances longitudinally along the wiping or lasting margin of the shoe. Pressure arm portion 6a of tool lever 6 is designed to primarily accommodate that. In addition, however, the machine is also adapted for the rotary tool head 4 to bear under relatively constant pressure onto the margin 3a while compensating for changes occurring, as they generally do, in the bevel or camber of the lasting margin of a shoe. In that regard, the margin of a last generally slopes outwardly and at different degrees at various places along its length. The tool 4 is mounted to tilt an accommodating amount. Bearing block 41 carrying rotary tool 4 is supported by carrier 42 which is in turn pivotally mounted, on parallel axis bases, onto pressure arm portion 6a of tool lever 6. Insuring that the rotary tool 4 continuously adapts itself to the changing bevel in the lasting margin 3a, as it moves longitudinally by the same, constant pressure is applied to bolt 43 by means of a leaf spring 45. The spring 45 is secured at one end to pressure arm portion 6a by means of a fastener 46, and, the other end of the spring 45 bears in a slot, 42a provided in the bolt 43. From there the pressure is transmitted to and urges rotary tool 4 against the lasting margin 3a. If the lasting margin slopes more or less during the advance of tool 4, the rotatry tool 4 constantly adapts or tilts accordingly to complement that.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the machine according to the invention may be adapted to simultaneously operate a rotary tool on the inside 3a and outside wiping margin 3b of a shoe assembly carried on a shoe last or form. The outside margin 3b of a shoe generally includes less in the way of curvature than does an inside margin 3a. As a result there is generally no benefit to be obtained from including pivotable control and tool heads on control and tool levers designed primarily to operate relative to outside margins. It is rather more expeditious to compensate generally for such curvatures as do occur on an outside margin by a fixed central adjustment of the rotary tool.

Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a mechanism for guiding a rotary wiping tool 47 including a raised helical ribbon 47a and rotated on a flexible shaft 47b over or relative to an outside margin 3b of the shoe assembly. The tool 47 is carried directly on a tool lever 48, and specifically on the pressure arm portion 48a which is pivotally mounted on the main portion 48 by means of shaft 49. The main portion of the tool lever 48 is articulately mounted to the slidable carriage 11 by means of a bolt 50. Similarly mounted on the carriage 11, that is, in articulated fashion, by means of bolt 51, is a cooperating control lever 52. The control lever 52 carries a photocell 53 registering on the margin edge of template 24 which corresponds to the outside margin 3b of the shoe assembly. The tool lever 48 and control lever 52 are coupled together through a connecting arm 54 so that when one or the other of the levers pivot, the other pivots through a corresponding angle. To facilitate that slots 55 and 56 are provided at either end of the connecting arm 54. Pins 57 and 58' located in those slots serve to attach the connecting arm 54 to the levers 48 and 52. The connecting arm 54 is fitted with an angle drive responsive to the photocell 53 by means of a control circuit, not shown. The angle drive includes a coil spring 59 and pressure piston 60 located within cylinder 61, the latter provided with an opening '62 for entry of a pressure medium again responsive to the activity of photocell 53 through a control ciircuit provided for that purpose.

As shown in the figures too, the machine of this invention may be adapted to provide adhesive during the operation by which to adhesively attach the lasting margin 3a3c of the upper to a corresponding portion of the insole 2. Feeding or application of the adhesive, as shown, is effected immediately prior to the wiping or lasting operation of the rotary tools 4 and 47. The adhesive is supplied, from a source not shown, through feed tube-s 63 and 64, see FIG. 1, and issue through nozzles, for example, 65, see FIG. 2. The unglued flap portion 3c of the lasting margin is conducted around nozzle 65 by the rotary wiping or lasting tool 4 which pulls the same and presses it together with the interposed adhesive against insole 2.

A closely similar embodiment to that immediately above, may also be adapted to last a shoe bottom in situations where the adhesive has been applied to the margins of either the upper or the insole, previous to the lasting or wiping operation. In that embodiment a heating element is substituted in place of the adhesive I tubes and nozzles. The heating element serves to activate the previously applied, thermally reactive adhesive ahead of the actual wiping, pulling and pressing of the margin by the rotary wiping tool.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efliciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for automatically operating along a bottom margin of a shoe assembled on a last positioned in the machine, the said machine comprising a rotary tool movable progressively along the margin and cooperating with guide means for directing lateral movement of the tool relative to the margin, the said guide means including a light responsive means registering on a light source and template combination, the template being of opaque material and predetermined shape.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the light responsive means is a photocell.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the light responsive means includes a plurality of photocells in spaced relationship registering on the template.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the machine includes means for mounting the rotary tool for movement relative to profile contour of the shoe.

5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the machine includes means for mounting the rotary tool for movement relative to bevel in the bottom margin.

6. A machine according to claim 1 wherein rotary tools are provided at opposite sides of a shoe for operating simultaneously and progressively along the bottom margin at opposite sides of the shoe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,863 7/1958 Weisz 12-8.3 2,970,330 2/1961 Kamborian l28.3

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 12-89 

